Joseph b



J. B. OKEY.

Straw Cutter. J A

N0. 25,469. Patented Sept. 13, 1859.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH B. OKEY, OF INDIANAIOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 HIMSELF AND' WM.H. KENDRICK, OF SAME PLAGE.

STRAW-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent N0. 25,469, dated September 13, 1859.

T0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known 'that I, JOSEPH B. OKEY, 0f the city 0f Indianapolis, countyof Marion, ancl State of Indiana, have inventecl a new and usefulImprovement in Straw-Cutters; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full ancl exact clescription of 1ny invention, reference being hadto the ammnpanying clrztwing ancl the letters of reference markeclthereon.

The nature of my invention consists in provicling a common cutting boxwith a movable bottomsaicl botto1n having a vibratory movement, forwarclancl back, by n1eans of which the straw is carriecl np to the knife.This bottom is movecl by two cams 01 projections, upon 'the encl of thelever which operates the gate, carrying the knife said ca1ns operatingin a groove, 0r notch, out in a horizontal bar, ancl this bar connecteclto the bottom by a yoke.

In orcler thab persons Who are skillecl in the construction of cuttingboxes may n1ake ancl use n1y invention, I Will now proceecl to clescribethe sa1ne.

I const-ruct a box similar to other outting boxes, as a receptacle forthe strawwith the clif'ference that mine has a sliding botto1n D ;-tothis botto1n is attachecl the yoke C 011 the ofi' sicle of tl1e box, aslicling bar B, is attaehed t0 the yoke O I, is the knife gate, whichcanies the knife K;A, is the lever Whi0h n1oves the knife gate I, up andd0Wn;-

H, is an acljustable slot, whioh accommodaes itself to the gate plvotthat moves the gate;

At the farther end of the gate lever A, Will be seen two s1nallprojections, or cams one on each side, ancl ab opposite eclges of thefiattenecl end of this lever;--this b1oacl and flat encl of the leverclescribes a portion of a circle when in operation, and bea1s such arelation 130 the sllding bar B, that lt moves these cams alternatelythrough a notch 01 groove cut in the encl 0f the slicling bar B, ancl sogives an alternate movement of said barup toward the knife, and thenback from it. These cams are seen ab F, and G. The cross piece M, M, isdesignecl to cut againsb, ancl is rubbecl by the knife K.

The operation of this 1nachine is si1nple; vizby taking hold of thelever A, and raising it np, the Ca1n F, (which is 110 more than aninclinecl plane) presses the sliding bar B(ancl Wih lt, the yoke C, anclslicling botto1n D)up towarcl tl1e knife K, bringing the straw in thebox, up far enough to receive the first cut;then by pressing the handle01: this lever down, it drives the knife clown tlnougl1 the straw, ancl,just ab the point where tl1e cnt is completecl, tl1e can1 G co1nes incontact With tl1e slicling bar B, so as to return tl1e botton1 D back tothe place of beginning, when lt is reacly to carry the straw up f01another cuttl1e packing board E, perfonning the ofilce of hol cling thestraw clown finnly to the 1noving bottom all tl1e while. Thus, lt Willbe seen that when it is clesirable to move the bottom either way, it isdone clirect, and with a slight expencliture of power.

NOW, I am aware tl1at a sliding botto1n in eutting boxes, is n0t new,as, for examplein the outting box of W. W. Hollman, patentecl March 30th1858;I am aware also, that saicl Hollman clai1ns the combination of amovable bottom With a cam shaft, anal, cams thereon located beneath theknife, ancl, operatecl by a crossbar in the knife gate saicl camsproclucing a reciprocating movement in tl1e slicling botto1n by aconnecting rocl projecting fro1n said Ca1n shaft (ab an angle of thirtydegrees) back, and up, 130 the unclersicle of saicl botto1n;Such adevioe I disclai1n wholly-but,

IVhat I d0 clai1n, is

l. The combination of slicling bar B, When constructecl as set forth,with yoke C, ancl vibrating botto1n D; and

2 The combination of ca1ns F, and G, with lever A, when constructed anclused as clescribedzall operating substantially as, ancl for the purposesmentioned in the foregoing specification.

JOSEPH B. OKEY.

VVitnesses C. B. ROCKWELL, E. T. BUSSELL.

